Australia and the UK announce closer Defence relations in AUKMIN Communique

In their 67-clause AUKMIN (Australian-UK Ministerial Consultations) Communique Australia and the UK have agreed closer Defence and Strategic cooperation. The talks, between the Australian and UK Ministers for Defence and Foreign Affairs, were held in Sydney on 25 July.

All Ministers noted the global security environment had become more dangerous and unpredictable and agree to significantly increase cooperation to bolster both countries’ defence and national security. They reaffirmed their enduring commitment to the AUKUS partnership which, as well as providing for nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) under Pillar I, also provides new pathways for innovation, interoperability and a more combined defence industrial base under Pillar II.

The UK and Australia will cooperate on the development and use of Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar technology, including the potential for Australian AESA radars in UK Integrated Air and Missile Defence (IAMD) applications. The two countries will also undertake personnel exchanges to support the future combat effectiveness of Australian Hunter-class ASW frigates and their British counterparts, the Type 26 frigates, both classes of which are currently in build.

The two countries’ Ministers for Defence agreed to closer collaboration between the UK’s Complex Weapons Pipeline and Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise, starting with a collaborative effort to develop modular, low-cost components and next-generation weapons systems.

The Ministers affirmed their shared ambition for a bilateral defence industry dialogue at both the Senior Official and Ministerial levels, providing a forum to deepen defence industry collaboration, enhance joint capability development, and cooperate on procurement reform to ensure improved efficiency in capability acquisition and sustainment.

They also agreed to help ensure a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific. This includes opposition to coercive or destabilising activities by China’s Coast Guard, Navy and maritime militia.

The full AUKMIN Communique is here.